1852 Presidential Election

November 2, 1852 · Jacksonian Democracy · 296 electoral votes, 149 to win

Pierce buried Scott in the Whigs' last national campaign; the party, fatally split over the Compromise of 1850, dissolved within four years.

Elected

Franklin Pierce

Democratic

Electoral vote

254 of 296

Popular vote

50.8%

1,607,510 votes

Turnout

69.5%

The result

EV share
Franklin PierceDemocraticWilliam R. King254
1,607,51050.80%27
Winfield ScottWhigWilliam Alexander Graham42
1,386,94243.90%4
John P. HaleFree SoilGeorge Washington Julian155,2104.90%
Daniel WebsterUnionCharles J. Jenkins6,9940.22%
Jacob BroomKnow NothingReynell Coates2,5660.08%
George TroupSouthern RightsJohn A. Quitman2,3310.07%

3,161,553 votes recorded for the candidates listed.

Results by state

AlabamaFranklin Pierce60.9%9Winfield Scott · 34.1%
ArkansasFranklin Pierce62.2%4Winfield Scott · 37.8%
CaliforniaFranklin Pierce53.0%4Winfield Scott · 46.8%
ConnecticutFranklin Pierce49.8%6Winfield Scott · 45.5%
DelawareFranklin Pierce49.9%3Winfield Scott · 49.7%
FloridaFranklin Pierce60.0%3Winfield Scott · 40.0%
GeorgiaFranklin Pierce64.7%10Winfield Scott · 26.6%
IllinoisFranklin Pierce51.9%11Winfield Scott · 41.8%
IndianaFranklin Pierce52.1%13Winfield Scott · 44.2%
IowaFranklin Pierce50.2%4Winfield Scott · 44.8%
KentuckyWinfield Scott51.4%12Franklin Pierce · 48.3%
LouisianaFranklin Pierce51.9%6Winfield Scott · 48.1%
MaineFranklin Pierce50.6%8Winfield Scott · 39.6%
MarylandFranklin Pierce53.3%8Winfield Scott · 46.7%
MassachusettsWinfield Scott41.5%13Franklin Pierce · 35.1%
MichiganFranklin Pierce50.5%6Winfield Scott · 40.8%
MississippiFranklin Pierce60.5%7Winfield Scott · 39.5%
MissouriFranklin Pierce56.4%9Winfield Scott · 43.6%
New HampshireFranklin Pierce56.4%5Winfield Scott · 30.6%
New JerseyFranklin Pierce52.8%7Winfield Scott · 45.9%
New YorkFranklin Pierce50.2%35Winfield Scott · 45.0%
North CarolinaFranklin Pierce50.4%10Winfield Scott · 49.5%
OhioFranklin Pierce47.9%23Winfield Scott · 43.2%
PennsylvaniaFranklin Pierce51.2%27Winfield Scott · 46.2%
Rhode IslandFranklin Pierce51.4%4Winfield Scott · 44.9%
South CarolinaFranklin Pierce8
TennesseeWinfield Scott50.7%12Franklin Pierce · 49.3%
TexasFranklin Pierce73.5%5Winfield Scott · 26.5%
VermontWinfield Scott50.6%5Franklin Pierce · 29.8%
VirginiaFranklin Pierce55.7%15Winfield Scott · 44.3%
WisconsinFranklin Pierce52.0%5Winfield Scott · 34.4%

The state table accounts for 255 of Franklin Pierce's 254 official electoral votes. The remainder reflect split delegations, district allocations, faithless electors or votes not counted, as recorded at the electoral count.

The Congress it seated

33th Congress

1853–1855

Unified government

Senate

38–22

Democratic vs Whig · 2 others

House

157–71

Democratic vs Whig · 6 others